Religious Society of Friends

The Religious Society of Friends, also known by the name Quakers or Friends Church, is a name used by a range of independent religious organizations which all trace their origins to a Christian movement in mid-17th century England and Wales. A central belief was that ordinary people could have a direct experience of the eternal Christ. The theological beliefs among the different organizations vary, but include broadly evangelical Christian, liberal Protestant, Christian universalist and non-Christian universalist beliefs.